Walking trainer

ABSTRACT

A training device for a young child, accident victim or such other person who requires assistance in learning to walk. The device, mounted on wheels, suspends the trainee in a harness, with a shock absorber and tension spring acting to counterbalance the suspended harness. The shock absorber action is adjustable to vary the rate of falling so as to correspond to the weight of the trainee, and his degree of attained walking skill.

United States Patent 1191 Skaricic 1March 20, 1973 541 WALKING TRAINER775,133 11 1904 Gaines ..297 275 2,261,172 11/1941 Maxwell [75]Inventor, Krunoslav Skancic, Toronto, On- 2,625,202 1/1953 Richardson et3] Canada 3,612,042 10 1971 Fry Assignee: The Raymond Lee OrganizationKulkens 1 4 R Inc., New York, NY. Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham[22] plied: March 1972 Assistant ExaminerR. T. Stouffer [21] Appl. No.:231,629 Attorney-Howard I. Podell [52] US. Cl. ..272/70.3, 5/86, 297/5,[57] ABSTRACT 297/275, 280/87.02 W, 248/123, 248/204, A training devicefor a young child, accident victim or 248/292 such other person whorequires assistance in learning [51] Int. Cl. ..A61h 3/00, A47d 13/04 towalk. The device, mounted on wheels, suspends the [58] Field of Search..272/70, 70.3, 70.4, 80, 83 R; trainee in a harness, with a shockabsorber and tension 5/81, 86, 89; 248/122, 123, 204, 280, 292, springacting to counterbalance the suspended har- 3 9, 254/8 8 230/37-02 ness.The shock absorber action is adjustable to vary 2 2 5 the rate offalling so as to correspond to the weight of the trainee, and his degreeof attained walking skill. [56] References Cited 4 Claims, 6 DrawingFigures UNITED STATES PATENTS 38,028 3/1863 Brown ..297/274 X WALKINGTRAINER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

This invention relates to an apparatus for use in the training of theskill of walking, and particularly for use of young children, accidentvictims and others who require assistance in learning to walk.

The purpose of this apparatus is to permit a trainee to walk, whilesuspended in a harness from a wheeled frame, with the suspended harnessbalanced by an adjustable shock absorber and tension spring to controlthe rate of falling of the trainee.

The apparatus consists of a frame mounted on three wheels, with aharness for strapping about the trainee suspended from a cable attachedto a transverse frame member pivotably spring mounted to the apparatus.The transverse frame member is fitted with a tension spring applying arotating moment in one direction between the transverse frame member andthe main apparatus, with a shock absorber fastened so as to apply arotating moment in the opposite direction between said transverse memberand the apparatus. The reaction of the tension spring and of the shockabsorber are adjustable to match the weight and the walking skill of thetrainee, suspended in the harness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING:

The objects and features of the invention may be understood withreference to the following detailed description of an illustrativeembodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus being used by a traineewalker;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a harness for holding the trainee in theapparatus;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the mounting of the transverseframe member of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of an alternate mounting of thetransverse frame member of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of the adjustment device regulatingspring tension on the transverse frame member; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of an alternate means of regulatingspring tension on the transverse frame member of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar referencecharacters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1illustrates the apparatus 10, mounted on caster wheels l3, l4 and 15,suspending the walker-trainee by means of cable 27 attached to harnessabout trainee 20.

The apparatus 10 is essentially supported by vertical members 11 and 12which are welded to upper horizontal member 16 to which pulley 28 isfastened. Suspension cable 27, fastened to the book 26 of harness 25, isfastened to transverse frame member 18 after passing about pulley 28.

Transverse frame member 18 is rotatably mounted by pin to verticalmember 12 of the apparatus 10, with the rotation of the transverse framemember 18 about pin 35 balanced in equilibrium by tension spring 31 inone direction of rotation and shock absorber 33 and suspension cable 27in the other direction. Variation of the moment of forces created bytension spring 31 on transverse frame member 18 is achieved by axialmovement of collar 19, to which the tension spring 31 is fastened, alongtransverse frame member 18 with alternate locations 19A and 19B ofcollar 19 illustrated in FIG. 1 in dotted lines.

Tension spring 31 is fastened to the apparatus by means of pin 32 whichfastens the spring 31 to horizontal frame member 16.

The harness 25 is illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternate means of applyingcounter balance to transverse arm 18 is shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. InFIG. 3, the counterbalance force is applied by weight 44 attached bycable 41 about pulley 42 to collar 19 mounted on transverse frame arm18. Pulley 42 is rotatably fastened to vertical frame member 12 by pin43. FIG. 4 illustrates tension spring 45 attached to collar 19 mountedon transverse frame arm 18. The other end of tension spring 45 isattached to pin 46 in bracket 47 rigidly fixed to vertical member 12.

As shown in FIG. 5, collar 19 may be slid along the length of transverseframe arm 18, to vary the effective moment of forces produced ontransverse frame arm 18, by means of rotation of shaft 53 which rotateshelical gear 52 mating in teeth 51 of transverse frame arm 18. Markings55 on transverse frame arm 18 may indicate the variation of the forceachieved by adjusting the location of collar 19.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate means of varying the location of collar19 on transverse frame arm 18, by means of rotation of gear 56 whichmates with teeth 51 in frame arm 18.

In use, the trainee 20 is placed in the harness 25 and the effect of thespring tension of spring 31 or tension 41 or tension spring 45 isadjusted by the shift in location of collar 19 so that the trainee issuspended by sufficient force to hold his weight, but allowing himfreedom to move his limbs. Shock absorber 33 is adjusted to the weightof trainee 20 to absorb any sudden loads which might be caused bytrainee 20 suddenly losing control and falling.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of theinvention described herein, it is indicated that all matter containedherein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for use in the training of the skill of walking, comprisinga frame of vertical and horizontal members mounted on castered wheels, acable, a harness for suspending a walker trainee fastened to said cable,said cable being trained about a free turning pulley fastened in thehorizontal frame member above the position of the trainee and said cablebeing fastened to a transverse frame arm which is pivotally mounted to avertical frame member, said transverse frame arm being balanced inrotation about said vertical frame member by the force of the cablesuspending the walker trainee and the force of a tension spring fastenedto said transverse frame arm from the horizontal frame member.

the transverse frame arm to which the tension spring is fastened.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 in which the collar may be slidalong the length of the transverse frame arm by means of rotation of atoothed gear which is rotatably fastened to the collar, the teeth ofsaid gear meshing with teeth notched into one edge of the transverseframe arm.

1. Apparatus for use in the training of the skill of walking, comprisinga frame of vertical and horizontal members mounted on castered wheels, acable, a harness for suspending a walker trainee fastened to said cable,said cable being trained about a free turning pulley fastened in thehorizontal frame member above the position of the trainee and said cablebeing fastened to a transverse frame arm which is pivotally mounted to avertical frame member, said transverse frame arm being balanced inrotation about said vertical frame member by the force of the cablesuspending the walker trainee and the force of a tension spring fastenedto said transverse frame arm from the horizontal frame member.
 2. Thecombination recited in claim 1 in which the said transverse frame arm isalso restricted in rotational torque by a shock absorber fastened tosaid transverse frame arm and to a vertical frame member of theapparatus.
 3. The combination recited in claim 1 in which the effect ofthe force of the tension spring in terms of the counter balance torqueexerted on said transverse frame arm is varied by means of a slidingcollar about the transverse frame arm to which the tension spring isfastened.
 4. The combination recited in claim 3 in which the collar maybe slid along the length of the transverse frame arm by means ofrotation of a toothed gear which is rotatably fastenEd to the collar,the teeth of said gear meshing with teeth notched into one edge of thetransverse frame arm.